Railway brake operating mechanism



Oct. 3, 1933. P. B. CAMP RAILWAY BRAKE OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 13, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 3, 1933. P. B. CAMP RAILWAY BRAKE OPERATING MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 13, 1930 Oct. 3, 1933. P. B. CAMP RAILWAY BRAKE OPERATING MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 13, 1950 Oct. 3, 1933. P. B. cAMP RAILWAY BRAKE OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 13, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 m 177mm j angyli (Ya/T90 Patented Oct. 3, 1933 1,928,878 RAILWAY BRAKE OPERATING PercyLCammMayMmalsIgnor-toUnivcraal Draft tion of Illinois Application January 13, 1930.

Gear-Attachment Serlnl No. 0.396

8 Claims. (Cl. Hp-112) This invention relates to railway brakes, and more particularly to the operating mechanism therefor.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of a new and improved brake having novel means for releasing the same.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a new and improved hand brake operating mechanism with novel means for automatically disconnecting the hand lever or wheel from the mechanism when the brakes are released.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a new and improved brake operating mechanism that is comparatively inexpensive to manufacture, eflicient in operation, composed of few moving parts, and one in which the major portion of the operating mechanism is enclosed.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following de- 29 scription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is an end elevation of the device with parts in section and parts broken away;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of a portion of an end of a railway car showing the invention in position thereon, with parts broken away;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1 with parts broken away;

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4--4 of Fig. 1 with parts broken away;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the upper portion of the device with parts broken away;

Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal vertical section of a railway car showing the invention in position thereon, with parts broken away;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the cam member;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the pawl member;

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the clutch shifter member;

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of one of the clutch members;

Fig. 12 is an elevation of the ratchet wheel and one of the clutch members; and

Fig. 13 is a section on line 13-13 of Fig. 4.

Referring now to Fig. 7 of the drawings, the reference character 10 designates a railway car equipped with the conventional foundation brake mechanism shown diagrammatically at 11 at the lower portion of said figure. Since this brake structure is the usual or well known construction a brief description of the same is thought to be all that is necessary.

This mechanism is adapted to be operated by compressed air by the compressed air motor shown at 12 in the usual manner. Suitable means are also provided for manually independently operating the brake mechanism for setting the brakes by hand. I

As shown, the brake lever 13, which is fulcrumed as at 14 and pivoted to the brake cylinder piston 15 as at 16, has attached to its extended end a brake operating rod 17 which is adapted to extend to the opposite end of the car for attachment to the manually operated mechanism at that end of the car. A lever 18 pivoted as at 19 is connected at one of its ends to the brake operating rod 1'7 and has its opposite end connected to a brake operating cable 21 which in turn is connected to the hand brake operating mechanism that will now be described.

For the purpose of convenience in description and simplicity in illustration, the device is shown attached to the end 23 of a car 10 and provided with a horizontal operating shaft 24 as is common in the blind baggage type of brake.

The brake operating mechanism is housed within a casing 25 through which the sectional operating shaft 24 extends. The inner open end of the casing is closed by a plate 26 secured to said casing and to the end of the car as by the bolts 2'7, see Fig. 7.

The brake staff or shaft is shown at 24 and rotatably mounted thereon is a gear 28 and a ratchet wheel 20, see Fig. 2. A pawl 30 is provided for engag said ratchet wheel for holding the brake applied as will presently appear. The pinion or gear 28 is in mesh with a gear 29 rotatably mounted on a hollow shaft 31 extending through said casing 25. A brake drum 32 on which the cable 21 is adapted to be wound is rigidly connected to said gear 29 as by being cast integral therewith. The shaft 31 may be provided with a bushing 33 sleeved thereon for forming a bearing for the gear 29 and drum 32. A bolt 34 extending through the hollow shaft 31 and having a nut and a flanged washer 35 on its inner end for engaging the plate 26 is adapted to hold the parts in assembled relation.

The outer end of the shaft 24 is journaled in the casing 25 and is prevented from moving outwardly by any suitable means as a split ring 36 engaging a groove 37 on said shaft. A lever or hand wheel 38 is mounted on the outer end of the shaft for rotating the same for applying the brakes by hand when it is desired to do so. The inner end of the shaft 24 is preferably angular in cross section and a sleeve 41 telescopically engages this angular end. The sleeve 41 is journaled in a bearing 42 secured to the inner side of the car end by means of suitable fastening elements as the bolts 43, see Fig. 4. A flange 44 on said sleeve prevents the outward movement of said sleeve and shaft 24 on which it is mounted. A brake lever or wheel is rigidly mounted on the inner end of the sleeve 41 as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

In releasing manually operated brakes, it is desirable to release the brake drum operating pinion from the brake staff, otherwise the momentum of the brake wheel or lever will cause the brake stall and drum to overrun or continue to turn after the cable has been unwound, thereby winding the cable in the opposite direction. In the construction shown, mechanism is provided for simultaneously releasing the brake shaft and for releasing the operating pinion from said shaft.

The inner end of the hub of the pinion 28 is journaled in a bearing in the plate 26 and the outer end of the hub 44 of the ratchet wheel 20 is journaled in a web 45 of the casing 25. The end face of the hub 44 is provided with clutch teeth '46, see Fig. 12, for engaging cooperating teeth 47, see Fig. 11, on a clutch member 48. The clutch member 48 is slidably mounted on an angular portion 49 of the shaft 24. This member is provided with an annular groove 51 in which the flanges 52 and 53 of the shifter member 54 are adapted to engage for shifting the clutch member 48 into and out of engagement with the clutch jaws 46.

The clutch shifter member 54 is provided with a plurality of laterally extending projections 55 and 56 at each side thereof, which are adapted to slidably engage in corresponding inclined guideways 57 and 58 on the side walls of the casing 25, whereby when the shifter member 54 is elevated the guideways will cause the same to be moved outwardly to release the clutch. The lower portions 57a and 58a of the guideways are preferably arranged substantially vertically whereby they will form shoulders for preventing the accidental disengagement of the clutch.

It is desirable that means be provided whereby when the clutch is released the pawl 30 will be immediately thereafter automatically released. In the arrangement shown, which is by way of example only, the pawl member 30 is in the form of a yoke having a lower portion 59 and an offset upper portion 61. The portion 61 is ofl'set laterally to form the upwardly facing shoulder 62 for forming a stop for limiting the rotation of the pawl operating member, as will presently appear. The pawl member is pivoted on a shaft 63 secured in the casing 25 and is provided with a depending projection 64 forming a detent or pawl proper for engaging the teeth of the ratchet wheel 20 for preventing its backward rotation, but permitting it to rotate forwardly for applying the brakes.

The pawl 30 is elevated out of engagement with the teeth of the ratchet member by a cam member 640 rigidly connected to an actuating shaft 65 joumaled in said casing and in the base flange of the sleeve member 42, see Fig. 2. The cam member 640 extends through the yoke of the pawl member 30 and is provided with a laterally extending projection or cam arm 66 which is adapted to engage the upper member 61 of the yoke for raising the pawl out of engagement with the teeth on the ratchet wheel when the shaft 65 is rotated into the position shown in Fig. 6.

The arm 66 is preferably provided with a curved portion 67 for engaging the member 61 for elevatlng said pawl. A stop member 68 is adapted to engage the shoulder 62 for limiting the rotation of the shaft 65 in one direction and is adapted to engage a shoulder 69 on the lower member 59 for limiting the rotation of said shaft in the opposite direction.

The cam member 640 is also provided with a cam arm 71 having a curved surface 72 for engaging the upper bar or connecting portion 73 of the shifter member or yoke 54. The arm 71 is so arranged that its forward edge is angularly spaced from the arm 66 whereby when the cam member is rotated to its uppermost position the arm 71 will first release the clutch and immediately thereafter the arm 66 will release the pawl member 30. The engagement of the stop member 68 with the shoulder 62 will limit the further rotation of the shaft 65, thereby holding both the clutch and the pawl 30 in released position.

When the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1, the stop 68 is in engagement with the shoulder'or stop 69 and the weight of this stop, together with the weights of the levers 78 and 79 and the cam arms 66 and 71 will tend to hold the detent or depending projection 64 in engage- 1 ment with the teeth of the racket wheel 30, but will permit the pawl to ride over said teeth when said wheel is rotated forwardly. Handle or lever members 78 and 79 are provided on the ends of the shaft 65 for operating said shaft from the inside 1 or from the outside of the car.

In order to facilitate assembly the shaft 24 is made in sections 72 and 73 telescopically connected together. As shown, the inner end of the section 72 is angular in cross-section and slidably engages the socket 74 on the end of the section 73.

The cable 21 extends from the brake lever 18 around a pulley 75 and upwardly through a tubular guide member 76 and is attached to an 1 anchor member 77 pivoted to the web of the gear wheel 29.

In the operation of the device, assuming the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 6 and it is desired to apply the brakes, the shaft 65 is 1 turned to the right by means of the handle or lever 78 or 79 for lowering the pawl 30 into engagement with the ratchet wheel 20 and to permit the shifter member 54 to descend by gravity to bring the clutch teeth 46 and 47 mm inter- 1 locking engagement, after which the brake lever or wheel 38 or 40 is turned in a direction to wind the cable 21 on the drum 32 for setting the brakes.

when it is desired to release the brakes the cam member 640 is turned by the lever 78 or 79 in a direction to cause the cam member 71 to release the clutch and immediately thereafter the cam arm 66 will release the pawl, thereby permitting the drum to rotate independently of the brake wheels 38 and 40 to unwind the cable. The tension of the cable will be suflicient to cause the drum to rotate to release the brakes. During the release movement of the brakes the hub of the combined pinion 28 and ratchet wheel 20 runs freely about the section 72 of the shaft 24.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a railway brake, a horizontal brake stall, a brake lever at each end of said staff for rotating the same, a brake drum, means for operating said drum from said staff, pawl mechanism for holding said staff in adjusted brake-holding position, and means for simultaneously releasing said mechanism and for releasing said first-named means from said drum for permitting said drum t4; rotate independently of the rotation of said s all.

2. In a railway brake, a brake drum, a gear for rotating said drum, a brake shaft, a pinion rotatably mounted on said shaft and in mesh with said gear, a clutch for connecting said pinion to said shaft, and means including a yoke member and a cooperating cam element for releasing said clutch for permitting reverse movement of said drum independently of said shaft.

3. In a railway brake, a casing, a brake shaft extending transversely through said casing and journaled therein, a hand wheel on said shaft, a pinion journaled on said shaft, a ratchet wheel rigidly connected to said pinion, a clutch member slidably but non-rotatably mounted on said shaft, one element of said clutch being carried by said ratchet wheel, a pawl member, and means for shifting said pawl member and clutch for connecting said pinion to or disconnecting the same from said shaft, a drum within said casing, and

a gear carried by said drum and meshing with,

said pinion.

4. In a railway brake, a casing, a brake shaft journaled in said casing, an operating lever on said shaft, an integral pinion and ratchet wheel rotatably mounted on said shaft, a pawl member for said ratchet wheel, a clutch element carried by said ratchet wheel, a shiftable clutch member movable with said shaft, inclined guideways in said casing, a shifter member having a plurality of projections engaging said guideways, a cam member journaled in said casing and having arms engaging said shifter member and pawl for moving the same to inoperative position for releasing said pawl and clutch.

5. In a railway brake, a pawl member comprising a hub portion having an axial opening therethrough, a yoke member rigidly connected to said hub and comprising a bottom member having a stop on its outer end, an upper inverted U-shape member offset from said lower member and rigidly connected thereto, and a detent on said lower member.

6. In a railway brake operating mechanism, a brake drum, means for operating the same, said means comprising a shaft, a pinion on said shaft, a ratchet wheel on said shaft movable with said pinion, clutch mechanism for connecting said pinion and wheel to said shaft, a pawl member for engaging said ratchet wheel for holding the same in brake holding position, a brake lever for rotating said shaft, and means for automatically releasing said lever from operative connection with said pinion when said pawl means is released.

PERCY B. CAMP. 

